Morgan Gibbs-White scored the only goal against a resilient ten-man Porto, as Forest reached their first European semi-final for 42 years
4 min: Sangare releases Gibbs-White down the right. Promising for Forest … until the whistle goes, Sangare having come through the back of Alberto Costa on the touchline. The correct decision, if annoyingly belated from a Forest point of view, everyone all excited for a second.
2 min: It’s an absolutely belting atmosphere, both sets of fans giving it plenty. But Porto nearly quieten the home fans in short order, Moffi latching onto a prod down the inside-right channel and attempting to flick past Ortega. The Forest keeper swipes away. The rebound falls to William Gomes, who blazes over. Yikes.
Former NBA basketball player and assistant coach Damon Jones arrives at Brooklyn federal court, Monday, Nov. 24, 2025, in New York.
Former NBA player and assistant coach Damon Jones is expected to become the first person to plead guilty in a gambling sweep that led to the arrests of more than 30 people, including reputed mobsters and other basketball figures.
A change-of-plea hearing for Jones is scheduled for May 6 in Brooklyn federal court, according to a court filing Thursday.
Jones, 49, had previously pleaded not guilty to separate indictments charging him with profiting from rigged poker games and providing sports bettors with non-public information about injuries to stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
Former NBA basketball player and assistant coach Damon Jones arrives at Brooklyn federal court, Monday, Nov. 24, 2025, in New York. AP
Jones is charged in both cases with wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy.
A message seeking comment was left for his lawyer, Kenneth Montgomery. He told a judge at Jones’ arraignments in November that they “may be engaging in plea negotiations.”
Jones, a onetime teammate of James, was arrested last October along with Portland Trail Blazers head coach and Basketball Hall of Famer Chauncey Billups and Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier, and others, including a sports bettor accused of cashing in on injury information.
Jones was one of three people charged in both the poker and sports betting schemes. He remains free on bail.
A native of Galveston, Texas, Jones earned more than $20 million playing for 10 teams in 11 seasons from 1999 to 2009. He and James played together in Cleveland from 2005 to 2008 and Jones served as an unofficial assistant coach for James’ Los Angeles Lakers during the 2022-2023 season.
According to prosecutors, Jones sold or attempted to sell non-public information to bettors that James was injured and wouldn’t be playing in a Feb. 9, 2023, game against the Milwaukee Bucks, texting an unnamed co-conspirator: “Get a big bet on Milwaukee tonight before the information is out.”
LeBron James, drives away with Damon Jones after a workout at Rhodes Arena on the University of Akron campus, in Akron, Ohio, Wednesday, July 7, 2010. AP
James wasn’t listed on the Lakers’ injury report at the time of the text message, but the NBA’s all-time scoring leader was later ruled out of the game because of a lower body injury, according to prosecutors, and the Lakers lost the game 115-106.
On Jan. 15, 2024, prosecutors said, sports bettor Marves Fairley paid Jones approximately $2,500 for a tip that Davis, the Lakers’ forward and center at the time, would see limited playing time against the Oklahoma City Thunder because of an injury.
Follow The Post’s latest on the gambling scandal rocking the NBA:
Fairley then placed a $100,000 bet on the Thunder to win, prosecutors said, but the tip was wrong. Davis played his usual minutes, scored 27 points and collected 15 rebounds in a 112-105 Lakers win, prompting Fairley to demand a refund of his $2,500 fee, prosecutors said.
In the poker scheme, according to prosecutors, Jones was among former NBA players used to lure unwitting players into poker games that were rigged using altered shuffling machines, hidden cameras, special sunglasses and even X-ray equipment built into the table.
Former NBA player Damon Jones (pictured, blue shirt) leaves Brooklyn Federal court after his case finished for the day regarding illegal gambling. Gregory P. Mango
According to the indictment, Jones was paid $2,500 for a game in the Hamptons where he was instructed to cheat by paying close attention to others involved in the scheme. His instructor likened those people to James and NBA All-Star Steph Curry, prosecutors said. When in doubt, Jones was told to fold his hand, prosecutors said.
In response, according to prosecutors, Jones texted: “y’all know I know what I’m doing!!”
The poker scheme often made use of illegal poker games run by New York crime families that required them to share a portion of their proceeds with the Gambino, Genovese and Bonnano crime families, according to prosecutors.
Members of those families, in turn, also helped commit violent acts, including assault, extortion and robbery, to ensure repayment of debts and the continued success of the operation, officials said in court documents.
A hot hand from outside the three-point arc, Jones once proclaimed himself in an interview with insidehoops.com as “the best shooter in the world.” He played in every regular season game for three consecutive seasons from 2003 to 2006.
After his playing days, he worked as a “shooting consultant” for the Cavaliers and was an assistant coach when the team, led by James, won the NBA championship in 2016.
The 2025-26 season was not one to remember for the New York Rangers, but there’s a small silver lining.
There’s no hiding the fact that the Blueshirts underperformed this season, and to make matters worse, the team’s future is still filled with uncertainty and concern.
However, to close out the year, a glimmer of hope shone upon the Rangers nation in the form of young talent.
Through the latter half of the season, the Rangers called up Jaroslav Chmelař, Adam Sýkora, and Dylan Garand, while signing Drew Fortescue to his entry-level contract and claiming Tye Kartye off waivers.
Noah Laba, who has been with the Rangers for the entire season, and Gabe Perreault, who has been with the team since December, elevated their play to close out the season, with both forwards taking on increased roles.
The emergence of some of these younger players helped contribute to the Rangers’ sudden late-season success.
Over a long home stand starting late in March and extending into April, the Rangers won five of seven games, largely due to the immediate impact of the team’s youth.
Mike Sullivan believes that he’s gotten a large enough sample size from these young players to where he can properly evaluate them during the offseason and have a better understanding of their individual games going into training camp in September.
“Some of these guys got to, got a chunk of games down the stretch and had an opportunity to get their feet wet, so to speak,” Sullivan said. “After you get your first couple of games under your belt, and you're here for more than a week or so, the reality of the league starts to settle in. Some guys have a hard time sustaining it, and other guys don't.
“I thought for the most part, the guys that we called up late in the season here, they did a pretty good job of sustaining a high level of play, and so that's certainly encouraging for us moving forward.”
Damon Jones, the former NBA player and Cleveland Cavaliers assistant coach indicted with Terry Rozier and four others in November on federal charges of conspiring to rig NBA outcomes and peddle inside information, has requested a hearing with the Eastern District of New York to change his plea.
Jones pleaded not guilty in November to one count of wire fraud conspiracy and two counts of money laundering, but ESPN reported at the time that he was already in discussions for a plea deal. His plea hearing is scheduled for April 28 in Brooklyn.
Jones’ attorney, Kenneth Montgomery, told ABC News in New York, however, that his client is “not cooperating” with prosecutors against his co-conspirators, who also pleaded not guilty. Jones is the first of the group to request a change of plea.
Jones accused of dealing non-public tidbit
Jones is accused of providing non-public information from his league contacts so that gamblers could make more informed bets on NBA games than the general public. Specifically, he’s accused of providing information that LeBron James would not play in a Feb. 9, 2023, game against Milwaukee. Jones is alleged to have texted to gamblers: “Get a big bet on Milwaukee tonight before the information is out! [Player 3] is out tonight. Bet enough so Djones can eat.”
James is not named in the charging documents, but he was the only rostered player not to dress against the Bucks, who won, 115-106.
Federal prosecutors will file documents by next week updating which charges will have a change of plea.
Jones is also named as a co-conspirator in the so-called “rigged poker” case in the Eastern District of New York where sports celebrities including then-Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups were allegedly used to lure in high-value players to scam. Jones pleaded not guilty to conspiracy charges in that case.
Rozier, who was waived by the Miami Heat last week, has pleaded not guilty and asked for a dismissal.
Here are five things to watch and predictions as the Mets and Cubs play a three-game series in Chicago starting on Friday afternoon...
5 things to watch
Offensively bad
During their eight-game losing streak, the Mets have scored 12 runs, which is almost impossible to believe.
In those eight contests, all without Juan Soto, New York has been shut out three times while being held to one or two runs on four occasions.
Against the Dodgers earlier this week, it was starting pitchers Justin Wrobleski (who tossed a career-high eight innings), Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Shohei Ohtani who gave New York fits.
And it's not like New York has been hitting into much hard luck.
Their hitters have often been in between while missing hittable fastballs, expanding the zone, failing to work the count, and hitting the ball on the ground at an alarming rate.
"We’re not dictating at-bats," Carlos Mendoza said after Wednesday's loss. "Getting beat by fastballs even though there was some good fastballs byOhtani today -- we swung through a lot of them today. We have to be able to put pressure and be in attack mode. Right now, understanding what guys are going through is contagious. At the same time, nobody is feeling sorry for us. We got to be able to dictate at-bats."
Senga looked fantastic in his first two starts of the season, allowing just four runs on nine hits in 11.2 innings while striking out 17.
His last start was different, as the right-hander was touched up by the A's to the tune of seven runs on eight hits (including two home runs) in 2.1 innings.
There was some poor fielding behind Senga against the A's, but his stuff wasn't nearly as good as it was in his first two starts.
Senga generated just six swings and misses on 72 pitches against the A's after getting 12 on 88 pitches against the Giants on April 5 and 17 on 92 pitches against the Cardinals on March 31.
Meanwhile, Senga's average four-seam fastball velocity has been ticking down. It was 97.4 mph against the Cards, 96.0 against the Giants, and 95.6 against the A's.
After going through an 0-for-22 funk that led some to muse about a potential demotion that David Stearns quickly shot down, Benge has started to look more like the hitter he was in spring training.
Benge has hit safely in five of his last six games, and reached base safely in seven of his last eight.
Against the Dodgers on Wednesday, Benge ripped a double and had a would-be single (on a liner to left field) that was turned into a fielder's choice when Francisco Alvarez got tied up between first base and second base and was forced out.
New York Mets left fielder Carson Benge (3) hits a single against the Athletics during the eighth inning at Citi Field. / Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images
Benge finding a groove would be a big development for a Mets team that is dealing with huge slumps by Brett Baty and Mark Vientos, and underperformance from most of their other regulars.
Chicago's starting pitching depth is being tested
The Cubs are still without Justin Steele, who underwent UCL surgery early last season.
In 2026, they have lost Cade Horton for the year due to elbow surgery and been without Matthew Boyd, who is working his way back from a biceps issue.
But Chicago has patched things together, due in part to the offseason trade that brought them Edward Cabrera.
Against the Mets, the Cubs will send out Cabrera on Friday, Jameson Taillon on Saturday, and Javier Assad on Sunday.
Cabrera was hit a bit against the Pirates in his last start, but has been tremendous overall, with a 1.62 ERA and 1.14 WHIP in 16.2 innings over his first three starts.
Pete Crow-Armstrong is going through it
It has been a struggle offensively for PCA since he blew the doors off to start 2025, in a year where he wound up smashing 31 homers.
Over the final two months of last season, Crow-Armstrong slashed just .188/.237/.295 with four home runs in 200 plate appearances.
So far this season, he is hitting .236/.276/.306 with one home run in 72 at-bats.
Crow-Armstrong has been a bit better recently, though, with five hits in his last 14 at-bats.
Defensively, he remains one of the best center fielders in baseball, rating in the 99th percentile in OAA.
Predictions
Who will the MVP of the series be?
Bo Bichette
Bichette is hitting .292 with a .346 OBP since April 3.
Which Mets pitcher will have the best start?
Freddy Peralta
Since allowing four runs on Opening Day, Peralta has a 2.81 ERA in 16.0 innings over his last three starts, allowing 10 hits while striking out 18.
Which Cubs player will be a thorn in the Mets' side?
Alex Bregman
Bregman carries a six-game hitting streak into the series.
Second-round bids for the San Diego Padres were due this week, and all first-round bidders submitted new offers, including three of at least $3.5 billion, according to multiple people familiar with the details who were granted anonymity because the details are private. One of the bids approached $4 billion, according to two people.
The Padres and boutique investment bank BDT & MSD, which was retained last November to explore a potential sale of the MLB club, declined to comment. The Times of San Diego was the first to report on second-round bids that “approached $3.5 billion.”
The four finalists for the Padres include José E. Feliciano, whose Clearlake Capital is a backer of Chelsea, and Dan Friedkin, whose Pursuit Sports owns Everton and AS Roma. The other two are Golden State Warriors co-owner Joe Lacob and Detroit Pistons owner Tom Gores, who bought a 27% stake in the Los Angeles Chargers in 2024.
The Padres were valued at $3.1 billion in Sportico’s latest MLB valuations, up 34% over the previous year, thanks to strong results on and off the field. Attendance in 2025 was 3.44 million, which ranked second in baseball behind the Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego’s NL West rival. Gross revenue topped $500 million last year, Sporticopreviously reported. The club’s operating income was roughly $20 million.
The record sale price for an MLB franchise is $2.42 billion for Steve Cohen’s purchase of the New York Mets in 2020.
The Padres’ sale is viewed as a litmus test for valuations at a critical time for baseball. Many investors believe MLB teams are undervalued—the revenue multiple is 6.6x in Sportico’s valuations, by far the smallest of the five major U.S. men’s leagues, with potential structural changes coming that could grant owners greater cost certainty—and the Padres’ sales deck projects higher profits under a new CBA. Yet, the league and its players must navigate a labor battle that many believe could result in missed games next year.
The Padres’ owners announced the sale process in November, amid a legal battle between family members of late owner Peter Seidler, who died in 2023. Seidler’s widow, Sheel Kamal Seidler, sued his brothers, Bob and Matt, in Texas probate court, alleging they breached their fiduciary duties as trustees of Peter’s trust. One of the trust’s main assets is the control ownership stake in the Padres. In February, a court filing showed that Sheel has dismissed most of her original claims.
The current Padres ownership group, which includes at least 10 people or entities, bought the team in 2012 for $800 million. The largest stake of roughly 24% is held by the Peter Seidler Trust, with Sheel and her three children the beneficiaries.
The Padres have started the 2026 season 12-6 and sit two games behind the Dodgers in the NL West. Attendance again ranks second in baseball behind only the Dodgers.
Apr 15, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Kelly Oubre Jr. (9) reacts after a score against the Orlando Magic during the fourth quarter of a play-in round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
It’s only natural for most people to not want to fix what they don’t believe is broken. It’s also fairly natural to suspect ulterior motives in any new plan or scheme. While those questions are worth asking, it seems clear to me that if the answer was not to change anything, ever, we’d still be living in caves with dinosaurs.
There is something to be said for novelties, even those with a profit motive of some sort, that succeed. I would argue that the NBA Play In system has succeeded. I understand some people have a need for a certain sort of mental tidiness, or a desire to make accomplishments more meaningful. The NBA’s play in games would seem to go against both things. Is a number seven seed in or out? Why does the 10th ranked team get a shot at a playoff series?
For the mental tidiness people, well, it’s a bit untidy not knowing exactly who the bottom ranked playoff teams will be, but there’s an upside to be gained in giving the teams that were not in the Play In more rest after the regular season. The system itself is also pretty easy to understand, and once you get how it works, it ceases to be untidy, just uncertain. If you are the sort that wants to get rid of all uncertainty in life, well, good luck with that.
There’s also hope for teams that say lose a crucial player for part of the season to be found in the Play In. They might still get into the playoffs, and create a better match up for the top teams, as opposed to ritual execution found in the typical 1v8 match up.
That goes for the sense of accomplishment argument people, too. Don’t want to keep playing games after the regular season, and before the Real Playoffs begin? Win more games. I believe the Play In bracket produces more incentive to win, for good teams, rather than less. A playoff team is guaranteed at least four post season games. A play in team is guaranteed nothing.
There’s something else the Play In offers while we wait for the more successful teams to being their playoffs: fun. These games are the NBA’s way of partaking in the chaotic fun of the NCAA Tournament. It’s one and done for a couple of teams. Their season ends with a loss. We saw some amazing games in that regard, played with real intensity and fire. The Hornets vs Heat game was a true battle, and a ton of fun to watch. It went to overtime, and we saw all kinds of intense things, including potentially dirty play, surprisingly not from Miami. Also, more shockingly, LaMelo Ball coming through in the clutch. Who would have predicted that?
In the end, that’s why most of us are watching basketball, right? To see great competition in a game we love? To see a spectacle?
The Play In, for all it’s gimmickry has worked, if the goal is fun. It’s easy to sneer, because it’s not how things were, but it’s easier to love something that can bring if not joy, then entertainment to the end of the season. There is not some law of the universe that the stricter the playoff system is, the better it is. There might be some logical contradictions, but the goal of sport is not to achieve logical consistency, at least as I see it.
That said, I’d much rather the Rockets be in the playoffs, not the Play In. Too much uncertainty in the Play In.
On another note, I’d say the play in may not have entirely (or sadly, largely) accomplished one of its goals, to curtail tanking, but it has brought fun to the league. Playing for stakes of some sort brings more fire, more interest, to competitions, generally. That’s why tanking is so bad, to me. Sure, it’s rational, but if we’re watching sports for their pure rationality, we might be missing the point. Or one might be better served watching competitive chess. Further, tanking, however you choose to define it, destroys intensity, destroys the idea of stakes in a contest. A tanking team isn’t so much playing basketball, as it is playing lottery ball odds, which might loom over a season, but are not part of the competition in any immediate sense. We’ve seen what immediacy does for a single game, with the play in. Tanking does the opposite, but spread, depressingly, across a season. A teams’ reward for tanking might be heaven, but their actual games are hell, as we well know.
Because winning, keeping a season alive, is possible in the play in, teams go all out. The stakes are real. Tanking is the opposite, it destroys in game stakes, and competition, and that’s why it must be ended, somehow, some way. We can expend a lot of words on what the best way to do that is, and maybe there isn’t a best way, as any system has trade offs built in. The NBA is going to do something in the off season. I’m sure we’ll discuss it when it happens. Anything, though, that is in favor of good basketball, in favor of striving to win, instead of working to lose, has to be better for the game of basketball, and the NBA.
It wasn’t too long ago when Mark Messier, along with popular actor Danny DeVito, Isaac Chera of Crown Acquisitions, and more, unveiled the GAME 7 apparel collection to the NHL world. GAME 7 is a multi-platform sports and entertainment brand that, along with the NHL, works with the NBA for officially licensed apparel.
GAME 7 was also a five-part docuseries on Amazon Prime that received Emmy nominations and was directed by Connor Schell. They got the initial opportunity to work with the NHL and New York Rangers during their Centennial year and help design the patch they would wear on their jerseys.
After initially expanding with NBA apparel, it partnered with the NHL in December for an officially licensed NHL collection of nine NHL teams, those being the Chicago Blackhawks, Boston Bruins, Montreal Canadiens, Vegas Golden Knights, Toronto Maple Leafs, Pittsburgh Penguins, New York Rangers, Detroit Red Wings, and the Florida Panthers.
Now, alongside a partnership withCentric Brands, they are introducing new apparel to six additional teams: the Edmonton Oilers, Dallas Stars, Los Angeles Kings, Tampa Bay Lightning, Washington Capitals, and Colorado Avalanche.
Here are some of the new pieces of merchandise they are offering for the Avalanche:
With the heightened energy of the Stanley Cup playoffs right around the corner, there is no better time for them to release a new line for some teams that are looking to make a deep run this season. We could very much see a second round that includes the Avalanche versus the Stars, with the winner facing the Oilers in the Conference finals and potentially the Lightning in the Stanley Cup Finals.
The NHL itself is covered in fashion, and we see it every day when players enter the arena before warm-ups. With the league dropping the formal dress code, players can express themselves more and wear what they see as “fashionable”. From the standard suit-and-tie style we see many adopt, we also see more outgoing styles worn by David Pastrnak, William “Willy Styles” Nylander, and Patrick Laine.
Damon Jones, the former NBA player and assistant coach arrested as part of two federal illegal gambling probes around the NBA, is expected to change his plea to guilty, according tomultiple reports. He would be the first person to plead guilty in these cases.
At the request of Jones' attorneys, a change-of-plea hearing is scheduled for May 6 in Brooklyn federal court, the Associated Press reports.
These changes are part of a plea agreement with prosecutors, although the details of that deal are not public.
Jones was the one NBA figure tied to both parts of the federal probe that led to more than 30 arrests. Jones had been charged with wire fraud and money laundering in relation to both cases: One, that he provided sports bettors (with mafia ties) non-public information about injuries to key players such as LeBron James and Anthony Davis (Jones, a former teammate of LeBron, was not on the Lakers staff but did work out LeBron pregame); second, that he profited and helped draw players into rigged poker games.
In that same sweep, Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier was arrested as part of the federal probe for allegedly providing sports bettors with information that he would not meet prop bet numbers in certain games. Former Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups was arrested for allegedly being the "face" who helped draw people to the rigged poker games. Both men have pled not guilty.
The NHL has finally announced the start times for Game 1 of the eight first-round series.
The Carolina Hurricanes and Ottawa Senators will open up the postseason with a 3 p.m. showdown Saturday at Lenovo Center and streamed on both FanDuel Sports Network and ESPN.
Parking lots and team store will open at noon that day and there will also be a pregame plaza party beginning at 12:30 p.m.
The arena will open its doors at 1:30 p.m., with warmups set to take place at 2:30 p.m.
The Dallas Stars/Minnesota Wild and Pittsburgh Penguins/Philadelphia Flyers will follow up that game on Saturday, with puck drops scheduled for 5:30 p.m. and 8 p.m.
The Montreal Canadiens/Tampa Bay Lightning, Boston Bruins/Buffalo Sabres, Utah Mammoth/Vegas Golden Knights and Colorado Avalanche series will all then kick off on Sunday at still to be determined times.
Finally, the Pacific #2/#3 series (which has yet to be decided) will start on Monday.
No other game information has been released yet, but the NHL will apparently announce the full first-round schedule after the regular season officially concludes tonight.
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CLEVELAND, OH - JANUARY 31: Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Cleveland Cavaliers smiles during the game against the Detroit Pistons on January 31, 2024 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2024 NBAE (Photo by David Liam Kyle/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The city of Cleveland has fallen in love with Donovan Mitchell. It seems the feeling is mutual, as the seven-time All-Star once again opened up about his time in the land.
“I love Cleveland,” Mitchell told The Athletic. “I’ve said it before: I want to play here for as long as I can.”
Mitchell is on contract until the 2027-28 NBA season, with a player option that he’s likely to exercise in 2027. The Cavs have an incentive to extend him as soon as possible, and he’ll be eligible for another max payday when that time comes.
“The goal is to win — as long as we’re continuing to win at the highest level,” said Mitchell. “But I love it, man. It’s a place that I feel like I can call home, you know what I mean? And I feel good. My fiancée feels good about it.”
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It certainly bodes well for the Cavs that Mitchell appears to be happy in Cleveland. He’s proven he can raise their floor significantly in the regular season and potentially gives them a championship-caliber season.
Even with all of the injuries this year, Cleveland finished 4th in the Eastern Conference with 52 wins for just the ninth time in franchise history. Mitchell’s 27.9 points per game made that possible.
The Cavs start their playoff journey on Saturday with a first-round series against the Toronto Raptors. If both Mitchell and the Cavs want to justify another long-term commitment to each other, then success in the upcoming postseason will be a good place to start.
Rewatch the Lakers’ pair of wins over the Rockets in Houston from just a month ago and you’ll witness back-to-back brilliant offensive showings from Luka Doncic, in addition to important supporting moments on both ends of the floor from Austin Reaves.
During the regular season, the Lakers had LeBron James and Luka Doncic in the lineup against the Rockets. That won’t be the case at the beginning of the first-round NBA playoff series. NBAE via Getty Images
This is why the regular-season matchups between the Lakers and Rockets, which the Lakers won 2-1, are difficult — but not impossible — to learn from entering the first-round playoff series.
The Lakers saw different versions of the Rockets each time they played:
A fully healthy Houston squad (minus Fred VanVleet, who’s been sidelined the entire season after tearing his right ACL during an offseason workout) on Dec. 25;
The Rockets without Adams and All-Star big man Alperen Sengun on March 16;
And a Houston team without Adams and Jae’Sean Tate on March 18 – which is as close to the version of the Rockets the Lakers are expected to see in Saturday’s Game 1 at Crypto.com Arena.
But each version of the Lakers that the Rockets played against featured Doncic, Reaves and LeBron James in the starting lineup — which won’t be the case Saturday. Doncic (left hamstring strain) and Reaves (left oblique strain) are out “indefinitely” after suffering their regular-season-ending injuries April 2.
So, the ball-screen-heavy offense led by Doncic and Reaves that the Rockets had to battle against in the three regular-season matchups?
It’s been replaced by an offense that’s more reliant on off-ball screens to create advantages.
The combined 47.4 points and 11.7 assists Doncic and Reaves combined to average in the three games against the Rockets, including 52.5 points and 13.5 assists in the games Reaves finished after leaving midway through the Dec. 25 matchup because of a calf injury, have been distributed throughout the roster.
Rockets big man Alperen Sengun (left) didn’t play against the Lakers on March 16. NBAE via Getty Images
“We’re going to lean on everybody; it’s going to be balanced,” Marcus Smart said. “We’re going to lean on [Deandre Ayton] a lot, we’re going to LeBron, myself, Rui [Hachimura], obviously, Luke [Kennard], those guys, and it’s going to take everybody. It’s a different style of play, and I think that’s something that Houston isn’t prepared for, or are going to try to prepare for because they haven’t seen us without those guys. They’ve always played us with them, so they always have a matchup and game plan for them. It’ll be interesting to see how they play us without them.”
Even though the Lakers aren’t as talented without Doncic and Reaves, they’ll also be unfamiliar entering Game 1.
The Rockets only played against the version of the Lakers that featured James averaging just 13.3 field- goal attempts (leading to an efficient 22 points) and four assists as he picked his spots while Doncic led the way with carrying the offensive load. Not the version of James who averaged 17.5 shot attempts (25.5 points) and 11 assists in his final four regular-season games as the No. 1 option with Doncic and Reaves sidelined.
Kennard averaged 6.4 assists in the final five games, in addition to 12.2 points, after having a combined five points and three assists in the two games he played against the Rockets.
The Lakers went from one of the teams making the fewest passes per game (269.7; 27th) to top 10 in passing (296.2; 10th) without Doncic and Reaves.
Their assist percentage (the percentage of field goals that were assisted) spiked from 60.6% in the first 77 games (22nd) to 76.2% in the final five games (second).
Rockets’ Durant dunks the ball as James defends on March 18. AP
The Lakers are worse off without Doncic and Reaves.
But they’re also less familiar. Which, at least for a game or moments within games, can work to their advantage.
“They got guys that can step up and fill some of those roles they were missing,” Kevin Durant told reporters in Houston. “Obviously, missing two of the best players in the league is tough to make up for. But they got guys that can come in and make a huge impact. We’ve got our work cut out for us.”
The Lakers will still have to work through issues — some familiar and some not.
A familiar one: How will they manage the defensive glass against a Rockets team that led the league in offensive rebounding?
An unfamiliar one: How will they try to create offensive advantages against a Rockets defense that’s less likely to hedge or blitz ball screens without Doncic and Reaves on the floor?
The regular-season matchups provided some clues, while also making it clear the playoff series will be unfamiliar territory for both teams.
LOS ANGELES, CA - NOVEMBER 1: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers goes up to block a shot against the LA Clippers on November 1, 2023 at Crypto.Com Arena in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2023 NBAE (Photo by Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
With the Lakers set to begin their playoff run, now is a perfect time as any to unpack a question that’s nearly as old as basketball itself…
What matters more: offense or defense?
There are clichés such as “offense wins games and defense wins championships” that have been used for ages, but what’s the actual answer?
Modern offenses push the pace of play and shoot more threes each year, making it feel like offense is king. This decade, Nikola Jokić has won three MVP Awards because of his offense. There is no defense, no matter how elite, that has figured out a way to stop Steph Curry.
At the highest levels, it’s starting to feel like the best defenses can’t measure up to the best offenses. However, coaches still view them as equally important.
“I think you need both,” Lakers head coach JJ Redick said. “And there’s been three outliers in the last 25 years. I know the Lakers, I think it was ‘01, were a bottom-third defense, but they were number one in the playoffs. Really, Denver in ‘23 was the only team that had an average defense, and then they were average in the playoffs.”
In the regular season, the 2001 Lakers had the seventh-worst defense in the NBA, but improved to first in the playoffs. With a dramatically improved defense and the most dominant offensive force in Shaquille O’Neal, that LA team won it all, losing just one game in the postseason.
During the 2020s, 18 of the 24 teams that have reached the conference finals ranked in the top ten offensively. And three of the champions finished in the top five. The only two exceptions were the 2020 Lakers, who were 11th in offensive rating, and the 2022 Warriors, who were 16th.
However, in the postseason, both teams morphed into elite scoring machines. With an offensive rating of 115.6, no one was better on that end of the floor than LA in the bubble. Golden State was fourth in 2022 at 114.5.
The defensive numbers for title contenders in this era have been high as well. During the 2020s, 14 of the 24 teams that have reached the conference finals were top-10 in defensive rating. But four of the five NBA champions were in the top five. As Redick mentioned, the only outlier was the 2023 Nuggets, who were 15th.
The Lakers will play the Rockets in the first round of the playoffs, and head coach Ime Udoka discussed the balance between offense and defense before the Christmas Day matchup against the Lakers earlier this season.
“For us, we try to be balanced and we’re somewhere up in the top five area of both,” Udoka said. “I want to do that and that’s where you have the great balance, great scoring, but you need to have the versatile of pieces to do it.
“I think we have a ton of defenders, naturally. We talked about keeping our identity the last few years of being a high-level defensive team and improving on the offense, and I think we’ve done that.”
Udoka did keep his team near the top five in both categories. During the regular season, Houston had a defensive rating of 112.1, which ranked sixth in the league, and an offensive rating of 117.5, which ranked eighth in the NBA.
The Lakers finished with offensive and defensive ratings of 117.0 (10th) and 115.5 (20th), respectively. While that defensive rating for LA is discouraging and perhaps an indicator that they are not at the level needed to win, they did improve as the season went along.
Post All-Star break, their defensive rating was 113.4, good for 14th in the league. That’s still not ideal as a top-10 defense seems to be the standard for a Conference Finals appearance, but it’s progress.
For the Lakers to have postseason success, they’ll need to figure out how to elevate their play in both categories. And there are subcategories they need to improve on that will help them find success. Redick has mentioned wanting to improve their rebounding and turnovers in their series against Houston.
Based on how the 2020s have gone so far, it seems a top-10 offense is more likely to get you deep in the playoffs, but an elite defense is necessary to win it all.
So, the answer to what matters more between defense and offense is still a combination of both.
“I grew up in San Antonio, believing in and knowing that defense wins championships,” Pelicans head coach James Borrego said. “We always hung our hat on that end of the floor and I still believe that.
“But I think it’s a balance of both, and really leaning into the strength of your roster is where you need to lean. Every roster is built differently. Some’s a little bit more offensive. Some’s a little bit more defensive. To me, the best teams maximize the roster, though. They lean into the strength of their players and how they play together.”
If there is one thing Redick has done well, it is maximizing his team’s potential. He’s had back-to-back 50-win seasons with very different rosters and with major shake-ups midseason.
In the playoffs, with Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves out indefinitely, he has to figure out how to balance both and get offensive production without his starting backcourt and come up with a defensive plan to stop Kevin Durant, who is one of the best scorers the league has ever seen.
It won’t be easy, but to have a long postseason run, the Lakers will have to find new solutions offensively and come up with enough defensive stops to make a run.
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Just two days remain until the beginning of the Knicks’ playoff journey against the Atlanta Hawks, and there are a lot of compelling storylines with this series.
While the Knicks are favored, national pundits believe this series will be among the closer ones in the first round of the NBA playoffs, so what do the Knicks need to do to silence the critics and get to Round 2 unscathed?
Controlling the Pace
There are inherent, stylistic differences between the Knicks and Hawks that will be apparent throughout the series.
The Knicks, despite their head coach being hired to increase the pace, remain a half-court-based offense that prefers to take its time to find the best shot. The head of the snake, Jalen Brunson, crosses half court with 16 on the shot clock every possession. 10.7 percent of their shot attempts are with four or fewer seconds on the shot clock, which is fifth in basketball. They’ve found a way to be a top-five offense with this strategy, so they haven’t tried to change it.
Compare that to Atlanta, which is fifth in the NBA in pace and will often try to sprint up the court regardless of how the previous possession ended to get into the frontcourt with 20 on the shot clock. The stylistic difference can be described best with this:
Percent of shot attempts with 4 and 7 or fewer seconds on the shot clock: Knicks: 10.7%, 21.6% Hawks: 7.7%, 13.3%
Percent of shots with at least 15 on the shot clock: Knicks: 32.3% Hawks: 41.6%
The Knicks take their time, the Hawks want to run. The Hawks are third in fastbreak points with 18.1, while the Knicks are 14th. Whoever is able to play their game will have a massive advantage in this series.
We saw this with the Pacers the last two seasons. The Knicks let them play to their pace and struggled mightily. The Knicks are vulnerable in transition defensively, but are able to sink their teeth in once they get in the halfcourt. The Knicks are the second-most efficient offense when it comes to shooting “grenades”, while the Hawks are middle-of-the-pack. They thrive when they have to make tough shots.
— Basketball University (@UofBasketball) April 7, 2026
If the Knicks can hold down the Hawks in transition like they did down the stretch of these teams’ most recent meeting earlier this month, they’ll have a lot of success in this series.
Containing Nickeil Alexander-Walker
The easiest way an underdog can pull off an upset is a breakout performance that puts the league on notice. There aren’t many players capable of doing this on the Hawks, and as good as Jalen Johnson is, he isn’t a threat to average 30 for a series.
Alexander-Walker could be. The cousin of reigning NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, he left the shadows of Anthony Edwards in Minnesota and has done his best Jalen Brunson impression in thriving for his new team. He should win Most Improved Player and he showed what he can do when everything is clicking earlier this month against the Knicks:
— Basketball Performances (@NBAPerformances) April 7, 2026
It wasn’t your typical “leave a role player open, and he makes you pay”; he was cooking on some high-difficulty shots. If the Hawks have any chance in this series, he needs to be going shot-for-shot with Brunson and not be sitting in the corner down the stretch, which is part of the reason the Hawks melted down late in the early April matchup.
Dominate the Paint
This one is pretty clear. One team has Mitchell Robinson and Karl-Anthony Towns, the other has Onyeka Okongwu and Tony Bradley. The Hawks just effectively ruled out Jock Landale for the series, so there’s no reinforcements coming for an overmatched Atlanta center rotation.
Towns has had two efficient and dominant games against the Hawks this season and Okongwu has had absolutely no answer for him. While they could switch a wing onto Towns and put Okongwu on Josh Hart, that won’t work out well for them if Towns is assertive with the ball in his hands. As for Robinson, the Hawks will need to put several bodies on him to keep him off the glass, but that might not even be enough.
If there is one thing that Mitchell Robinson will do, it's grab contested rebounds and make your favorite team's bigs feel small…
On that note, the Hawks are bigger than the Knicks pretty much everywhere else but center, so the Knicks will need Robinson and Towns to gobble up boards and not let one of Atlanta’s wings pick up loose balls and run out in transition.
The NBA's 65-game rule, forcing players to play in at least 65 regular season games in order to be eligible for end-of-season awards, has received mixed reviews from fans and players.
Several fans believe it incentivizes stars to play in games, creating a better product for people in attendance. Others believe such a rule being implemented while individual players may have clauses in their contracts that offer bonuses for earning end-of-season awards creates a system that hurts players for situations that often are out of their control, such as injuries or family emergencies.
Well, it appears the NBA has heard these complaints and is making an adjustment.
Although neither the Detroit Pistons' Cade Cunningham nor the Los Angeles Lakers' Luka Doncic played in 65 regular season games, both have been reinstated for end-of-season awards.
Just in: The NBA and NBPA have ruled in favor of Lakers' Luka Doncic and Pistons' Cade Cunningham on their Extraordinary Circumstances Challenge for the 65-game award rule, making both eligible for all 2025-26 season honors such as MVP and All-NBA teams, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/gUYdUn1q4k
The NBA announced that Cunningham (63 games played) would be exempt "due in part to missing 12 games as a result of a collapsed lung that was diagnosed on March 17." Meanwhile Doncic (64 games played) earned exemption "due in part to missing two games to attend the birth of his daughter in Slovenia."
Here's what to know.
Will these exemption keep up moving forward?
The decisions to re-implement both Doncic and Cunningham came as part of the league's Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) under the "extraordinary circumstances provision."
However, the league did not reveal what exactly constitutes an extraordinary circumstance, only that both Cunningham and Doncic applied.
That said, Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards didn't receive an exemption. Edwards played in 60 games — or 61 when counting the game where he played only three minutes, which the league did not count — and filed "an extraordinary circumstances challenge under the CBA, seeking award eligibility before an independent arbitrator."
Why was Anthony Edwards denied?
Edwards missed 11 of the Timberwolves' final 14 games this season while dealing with a right knee injury. Furthermore, several of those games missed were in an effort to ensure Edwards would be good to go for the playoffs.
Edwards also missed time due to hamstring issues and illnesses earlier in the season.
Despite this, Edwards still played 2,137 minutes on the season, more than other players who are qualified for end-of-season awards like Kawhi Leonard, Victor Wembanyama and LaMelo Ball.
Will Doncic, Cunningham win any awards?
While neither player is likely to win MVP, both players will likely be named to All-NBA teams, which qualify under the 65-game rule. Edwards will not be eligible.
Edwards' ineligibility actually hurts his future. An All-NBA selection for Edwards would have ensured the 24-year-old supermax contract eligibility when he is eligible for a new contract in the 2027 offseason. While Edwards can still earn his third all-NBA bid next season, it puts added pressure on him to succeed. Furthermore, there is also the possibility that another injury forces him out of significant time next season, which could yet again cost him another All-NBA selection.
